英语听书《白鲸记》第971期

 And thus the first man of the Pequod that mounted the mast to look out for the White Whale, 这样，"裴廓德号"第一个攀上桅杆去找白鲸的人，

on the White Whale's own peculiar¹ ground; that man was swallowed up in the deep. 却在白鲸自己的特有的渔场上教大海给吞噬了。

But few, perhaps, thought of that at the time. 不过，当时想到这一点的人，却是为数不多。

Indeed, in some sort, they were not grieved at this event, at least as a portent²; 事实上，这种事情，他们并不感到怎么悲伤，甚至也不把它当成一种凶兆；

for they regarded it, not as a fore-shadowing of evil in the future, but as the fulfilment of an evil already presaged³. 因为他们并不把它看成为未来的凶兆，而是把它看做应验了一件早已料到的灾难。

They declared that now they knew the reason of those wild shrieks⁴ they had heard the night before. 他们还说，他们这才明白昨天晚上为什么会听到那种猛烈的尖叫声的道理。

But again the old Manxman said nay⁵. 可是，那个人岛老人又表示异议了。

The lost life-buoy⁶ was now to be replaced; Starbuck was directed to see to it; 失掉了救生圈，现在就得再添做一只，斯达巴克受命监督造救生圈。

but as no cask of sufficient lightness could be found, and as in the feverish⁷ eagerness of what seemed the approaching crisis of the voyage, 不过，因为一时找不到质地很轻的桶，又因为大家都热切盼望那个看来是越来越近的航程的危机，

all hands were impatient of any toil⁸ but what was directly connected with its final end, whatever that might prove to be; 除了对跟航程的最终目的（不管究竟是个什么结局）直接有关的事情，任何劳作大家都不耐烦去干；

therefore, they were going to leave the ship's stern unprovided with a buoy, 因此，他们打算让船梢空着，不再吊起救生圈，

when by certain strange signs and inuendoes Queequeg hinted a hint concerning his coffin⁹. 可是，就在这时，魁魁格却以一种奇特的示意和打趣，对他那口棺材露出一个暗示。

A life-buoy of a coffin! cried Starbuck, starting. 一口棺材做的救生圈！斯达巴克听了一楞地叫道。

Rather queer, that, I should say, said Stubb. 我应该承认，这未免太古怪了些。斯塔布说。

It will make a good enough one, said Flask¹⁰, "the carpenter here can arrange it easily." 它倒真可以做个顶刮刮的救生圈，弗拉斯克说道，"船里的木匠一下子就可以把它张罗起来。"

 

1 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 portent   

n.预兆；恶兆；怪事

参考例句：

• I see it as a portent of things to come.我把它看作是将要到来的事物的前兆。
• As for her engagement with Adam,I would say the portents are gloomy.至于她和亚当的婚约，我看兆头不妙。

3 presaged   

v.预示，预兆( presage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• This experience presaged my later return as CEA chairman in 2003. 这次的经历预示了我作为经济顾问理事会主席在2003年的回归。 来自互联网
• He emphasized self-expression, the warm personal note presaged by C.P.E. Bach and Mozart. 他强调自我表现，这种热情的、带有个人色彩的表现足巴赫和莫扎特所预示过的。 来自互联网

4 shrieks   

n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声
• For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

6 buoy   

n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The party did little to buoy up her spirits.这次聚会并没有让她振作多少。
• The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water.这个浮标在浅水里漂来漂去。

7 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

8 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

9 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

10 flask   

n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱

参考例句：

• There is some deposit in the bottom of the flask.这只烧杯的底部有些沉淀物。
• He took out a metal flask from a canvas bag.他从帆布包里拿出一个金属瓶子。